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433138

	registered interest
	date	30/11/2015
	answering body	Department for Business, Innovation and Skills
	answering dept id	26
	answering dept short name	Business, Innovation and Skills
	answering dept sort name	Business, Innovation and Skills
	hansard heading	Construction
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what steps he is taking to support the creation of painting and decorating opportunities in the construction sector.
	tabling member constituency	Strangford
	tabling member printed	Jim Shannon
	uin	18208
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 06/01/2016 answer text <p><del class="ministerial">Late payment remains an important issue for small businesses in the UK. The Government is taking significant steps to assist small businesses to recover late payment debts.</del></p><p><del class="ministerial">Through the Enterprise Bill, currently before Parliament, we will legislate to establish a Small Business Commissioner to help small business resolve disputes with large companies, tackling, in particular, late payment. The Commissioner will act as a disincentive to unfavourable payment practices, and build the confidence and capabilities of small businesses to help them to assert themselves in contractual disputes and negotiate more effectively with larger businesses.</del></p><p><del class="ministerial">This is part of a package of measures to tackle late payment. We have also legislated for new transparency measures in the public and private sectors. This will allow full public scrutiny of payment performance.</del></p><p><del class="ministerial">We have also strengthened the Prompt Payment Code to ensure it is a recognised and demonstrated beacon of best practice, and we recently consulted on proposals to give representative bodies wider powers to challenge grossly unfair payment practices.</del></p><p><del class="ministerial">Government promotes fair payment practices in construction through legislation (the &quot;Construction Act&quot;), the use of public procurement (promoting prompt payment to Tier 3 and the use of Project Bank Accounts), and by working with the industry through voluntary measures (such as the Prompt Payment Code and the Construction Leadership Council's Payment Charter).</del></p><p><del class="ministerial">The Payment Charter includes a commitment of zero retentions by 2025. To support this work, the Government recently announced a review of the practice of cash retentions under construction contracts.</del></p><p><del class="ministerial">Tackling late payment is about creating a responsible payment culture where larger companies recognise the benefit of having a sustainable and robust supply chain, and smaller businesses feel able to challenge poor behaviour. Once implemented, the Government is confident that these measures will lead to significant changes in the UK's payment culture.</del></p><br /><p><ins class="ministerial">Opportunities in painting and decorating will be created through the steps Government is taking to increase demand in the construction industry, including its support for housebuilding in England.</ins></p><p><ins class="ministerial"></ins></p><p><ins class="ministerial">Last week the Chancellor announced that the public housing budget for England is to double to over £2 billion per year, and the Housing Bill sets out plans to build 1 million homes in England by 2020.</ins></p><p><ins class="ministerial"></ins></p><p><ins class="ministerial">To deliver Government ambitions for construction it is vital to attract new people to the industry. The government is committed to significantly increasing the quantity and quality of all apprenticeships in England to 3 million starts by 2020; the construction industry will have a significant part to play in achieving this target.</ins></p><p><ins class="ministerial">However, skills policy (including apprenticeships policy) is a devolved matter and, in Northern Ireland (NI), is the responsibility of the Department of Employment and Learning.</ins></p><p><ins class="ministerial">The Minister of Employment and Learning, Dr Stephen Farry, published <em>Securing our Success, </em>a new NI Strategy on Apprenticeships in June 2014. This Strategy aims to reform the system of apprenticeships in NI, introducing them in a much broader range of occupational areas and establishing them as an attractive route to gaining higher level qualifications including at degree level and above.</ins></p><p><ins class="ministerial">The Construction Skills Network Report for NI suggests that there will be an annual recruitment requirement of 100 painters and decorators over the next five years, within a total requirement of 1,490 construction trades each year.</ins></p><p><ins class="ministerial"></ins></p><p><ins class="ministerial">The Construction Industry Training Board NI has a role to encourage the adequate training of those employed or intending to be employed in the construction industry and to improve the skills and productivity of the sector. NI’s six Further Education Colleges provide professional and technical training for the painting and decorating trades.</ins></p> answering member constituency Grantham and Stamford answering member printed Nick Boles question first answered 06/01/2016 15:08:11 question first ministerially corrected 11/01/2016 16:04:15 answering member 3995 label Biography information for Nick Boles previous answer version 37693 answering member constituency Grantham and Stamford answering member printed Nick Boles answering member 3995 label Biography information for Nick Boles
	tabling member	4131 label Biography information for Jim Shannon

178791

	registered interest
	date	10/02/2015
	answering body	Department for Business, Innovation and Skills
	answering dept id	26
	answering dept short name	Business, Innovation and Skills
	answering dept sort name	Business, Innovation and Skills
	hansard heading	Small Businesses: Billing
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what steps his Department has taken to enforce prompt payments to small and medium-sized enterprises by large companies.
	tabling member constituency	Strangford
	tabling member printed	Jim Shannon
	uin	224107
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 23/02/2015 answer text <p>The Government is taking forward a suite of measures to tackle prompt payment.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Through the Small Business, Enterprise and Employment Bill, currently before Parliament, we will introduce measures to improve transparency on payment practices and policies. Increased transparency, through a tough and transparent new reporting requirement on the UK’s largest companies, will help take significant steps to addressing the current imbalance in economic power between small and large contracting parties. Our consultation on draft secondary regulations to underpin these measures closed on 2 February. We will publish a summary of responses shortly.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>The Government is currently seeking views on how to best give representative bodies wider powers to be able to challenge grossly unfair payment practices on behalf of members. The discussion paper is available online and is open until 9 March.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>The Government is also working to strengthen the impact of the Prompt Payment Code. We are currently considering proposals, including introducing a maximum payment term for Code signatories, more rigorous monitoring of signatory behaviour, and the enforcement of tougher sanctions on bad payers. We will announce our proposals in Spring.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>These measures will drive forward a shift in payment culture that will make it unacceptable for large companies in positions of extreme bargaining imbalances to exploit smaller suppliers.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p><strong> </strong></p><p> </p> answering member constituency West Suffolk answering member printed Matthew Hancock question first answered 23/02/2015 13:55:31 answering member 4070 label Biography information for Matt Hancock
	tabling member	4131 label Biography information for Jim Shannon

229326

	registered interest
	date	24/03/2015
	answering body	Department for Business, Innovation and Skills
	answering dept id	26
	answering dept short name	Business, Innovation and Skills
	answering dept sort name	Business, Innovation and Skills
	hansard heading	Cybercrime: Insurance
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what steps his Department is taking to raise awareness among small and medium-sized businesses of insurance against cyber-attacks.
	tabling member constituency	Strangford
	tabling member printed	Jim Shannon
	uin	228929
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 26/03/2015 answer text <p>The recently published government guidance on cyber security for small businesses encourages companies to consider insurance as part of their approach to managing cyber risk. Cyber insurance is a rapidly developing area with government and the insurance sector publishing a joint report on tackling cyber risks on 23 March 2015. A key component of that report is an agreement that participating insurers will include Cyber Essentials accreditation as part of their risk assessment for small and medium businesses.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Cyber Security Guidance for Small Business: <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/412017/BIS-15-147-small-businesses-cyber-guide-March-2015.pdf" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/412017/BIS-15-147-small-businesses-cyber-guide-March-2015.pdf</a></p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Cyber Insurance Report: <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/uk-cyber-security-the-role-of-insurance" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/uk-cyber-security-the-role-of-insurance</a></p><p> </p><p> </p> answering member constituency Wantage answering member printed Mr Edward Vaizey question first answered 26/03/2015 09:20:14 answering member 1580 label Biography information for Lord Vaizey of Didcot
	tabling member	4131 label Biography information for Jim Shannon

386931

	registered interest
	date	01/07/2015
	answering body	Department for Business, Innovation and Skills
	answering dept id	26
	answering dept short name	Business, Innovation and Skills
	answering dept sort name	Business, Innovation and Skills
	hansard heading	Direct Marketing
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, if he will take steps to reduce the volume of junk mail.
	tabling member constituency	Strangford
	tabling member printed	Jim Shannon
	uin	5043
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 06/07/2015 answer text <p>The Government recognises that many people find unsolicited mail a real nuisance and has already taken steps to make sure there are preference services in place for those customers who do not want to receive it.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>The Direct Marketing Association currently run two separate “opt out” services: the Mailing Preference Service (MPS) will stop addressed mail and the “Your Choice” preference service will stop unaddressed mailings.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Royal Mail also runs its own door-to-door “opt out” scheme, which will stop those unaddressed mailings delivered by Royal Mail.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p><strong> </strong></p><p> </p> answering member constituency Grantham and Stamford answering member printed Nick Boles question first answered 06/07/2015 10:01:10 answering member 3995 label Biography information for Nick Boles
	tabling member	4131 label Biography information for Jim Shannon

388841

	registered interest
	date	09/07/2015
	answering body	Department for Business, Innovation and Skills
	answering dept id	26
	answering dept short name	Business, Innovation and Skills
	answering dept sort name	Business, Innovation and Skills
	hansard heading	Sunday Trading
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what discussions he has had with large-scale retailers on potential changes to the law relating to Sunday trading.
	tabling member constituency	Strangford
	tabling member printed	Jim Shannon
	uin	6379
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 16/07/2015 answer text <p>Brief details of ministerial meetings with external organisations are all publically available on the Gov.uk website.</p><p> </p><p>As announced in the Budget, the Government is consulting on proposals to devolve decision making on Sunday trading hours to a local level, for example, to elected metro mayors and/or Local Authorities, in England and Wales. The Government’s position on this subject will be shaped by views received over the course of this consultation.</p> answering member constituency Grantham and Stamford answering member printed Nick Boles question first answered 16/07/2015 14:46:38 answering member 3995 label Biography information for Nick Boles
	tabling member	4131 label Biography information for Jim Shannon

389678

	registered interest
	date	14/07/2015
	answering body	Department for Business, Innovation and Skills
	answering dept id	26
	answering dept short name	Business, Innovation and Skills
	answering dept sort name	Business, Innovation and Skills
	hansard heading	Economic Growth: Northern Ireland
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what discussions he has had with his counterpart in the Northern Ireland Assembly on ensuing business growth in the Northern Ireland economy.
	tabling member constituency	Strangford
	tabling member printed	Jim Shannon
	uin	7091
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 20/07/2015 answer text <p>The Government is committed to implementing ‘<em>Building a Prosperous and United Community</em>’, the Economic Pact between the Government and the Northern Ireland Executive which aims to help rebalance the economy and build a more united and stronger society. As part of this, my officials have held discussions with the Northern Ireland Executive to progress a range of matters, such as measures to improve access to finance, reduce regulatory burdens and support innovation.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Broxtowe answering member printed Anna Soubry question first answered 20/07/2015 15:32:13 answering member 3938 label Biography information for Anna Soubry
	tabling member	4131 label Biography information for Jim Shannon

390654

	registered interest
	date	16/07/2015
	answering body	Department for Business, Innovation and Skills
	answering dept id	26
	answering dept short name	Business, Innovation and Skills
	answering dept sort name	Business, Innovation and Skills
	hansard heading	Industry
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, how many people were employed in the aerospace, defence, security and space industry in (a) each country of the UK and (b) each region of England in the last year for which figures are available.
	tabling member constituency	Strangford
	tabling member printed	Jim Shannon
	uin	7676
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 21/07/2015 answer text <p>Employment in the aerospace industry in 2013 for each country of the United Kingdom and each region in England is given in the attached table. The ‘aerospace, defence, security and space industry’ is defined by the Standard industrial classification sectors: 30.3 manufacture of air and spacecraft and related machinery and 33.16 repair and maintenance of aircraft and spacecraft. This includes both civil and defence activity.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Broxtowe answering member printed Anna Soubry question first answered 21/07/2015 13:32:57 answering member 3938 label Biography information for Anna Soubry attachment 1 file name Employment in Aerospace and Space industry.pdf title Employment in Aerospace and Space Industry
	tabling member	4131 label Biography information for Jim Shannon

390655

	registered interest
	date	16/07/2015
	answering body	Department for Business, Innovation and Skills
	answering dept id	26
	answering dept short name	Business, Innovation and Skills
	answering dept sort name	Business, Innovation and Skills
	hansard heading	Industry
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what estimate his Department has made of the contribution to the UK economy of the cyber-technology sector within the aerospace, defence, security and space industry.
	tabling member constituency	Strangford
	tabling member printed	Jim Shannon
	uin	7677
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 21/07/2015 answer text <p>The contribution made to the UK economy by the cyber-technology sector within the aerospace, defence, security and space industry is not separately recorded.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Broxtowe answering member printed Anna Soubry question first answered 21/07/2015 13:48:21 answering member 3938 label Biography information for Anna Soubry
	tabling member	4131 label Biography information for Jim Shannon

417133

	registered interest
	date	07/09/2015
	answering body	Department for Business, Innovation and Skills
	answering dept id	26
	answering dept short name	Business, Innovation and Skills
	answering dept sort name	Business, Innovation and Skills
	hansard heading	Overseas Students: Loans
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what steps he is taking to ensure that students from other EU countries repay student loans taken out in the UK.
	tabling member constituency	Strangford
	tabling member printed	Jim Shannon
	uin	9291
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 15/09/2015 answer text <p>Borrowers from other EU countries who remain in the UK after completing their studies make repayments through the UK tax system in the usual way. The Student Loans Company (SLC) informs any borrower, regardless of nationality, going abroad of their obligations to repay and the methods of repayment available to them.</p><p> </p><p>If a borrower who has moved abroad fails to meet their obligations to repay, the SLC will undertake a variety of actions to recover payments. These include the use of international trace services and debt collection agencies.</p><p> </p><p>Collection across the EU is underpinned by EC regulation 44/2001, which allows the SLC to obtain judgments in UK Courts, which can be enforced by courts in other EU countries.</p> answering member constituency Orpington answering member printed Joseph Johnson question first answered 15/09/2015 15:57:59 answering member 4039 label Biography information for Lord Johnson of Marylebone
	tabling member	4131 label Biography information for Jim Shannon

417147

	registered interest
	date	07/09/2015
	answering body	Department for Business, Innovation and Skills
	answering dept id	26
	answering dept short name	Business, Innovation and Skills
	answering dept sort name	Business, Innovation and Skills
	hansard heading	Coal: Export Credit Guarantees
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what steps he is taking to secure an agreement between OECD countries to stop supporting all coal projects overseas through export credit agencies.
	tabling member constituency	Strangford
	tabling member printed	Jim Shannon
	uin	9260
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 15/09/2015 answer text <p>UK Export Finance has been participating in discussions within the OECD with the aim of achieving a multilateral agreement on limiting the provision of export credits for coal-fired power projects.</p> answering member constituency Broxtowe answering member printed Anna Soubry question first answered 15/09/2015 11:02:00 answering member 3938 label Biography information for Anna Soubry
	tabling member	4131 label Biography information for Jim Shannon